Tiger Woods is not only in doubt for next week’s PGA Championship but there is now serious doubt over his future playing career after he limped off mid-round on the final day of the WGC  – Bridgestone Invitational here in Akron, Ohio.

Woods, who has captured the Bridgestone event eight times, had just played his tee shot down the ninth when he called for a motorised buggy to take him back to his courtesy car parked close to the clubhouse of the Firestone Country Club.

He shook hands with fellow Masters champ and playing partner Bubba Watson and was driven in the direction of the clubhouse.

Tiger Woods clearly struggling to get off the motorised buggy. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

And when Woods did arrive it was clear the 14-time Major winner was in serious pain as gingerly worked his way off the seat of the buggy prior to supporting himself by leaning on the tail gate of the grey Cadillac Escalator while he also battled to remove his golf shoes before being driven away by his caddy, Joe Le Cava.

“It happened on the second hole, I hit my second shot, and I fell back into the bunker,” he said.

Tiger Woods clearly in pain using the Cadillac Escalator to support himself. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

“I just jarred by back, and it’s been spasming ever since. It’s just the whole lower back.  I don’t know what happened.”

Woods had just stepped onto the first tee earlier in the day when play was suspended due to continuing heavy rain in the $US 9m event.

And Woods, along with those already on the course, had to wait in position for some time before everyone was called off the course, and with Woods launching a paper plane while waiting on the first tee.

Woods struggling with lower back pain after withdrawing from the defence of his WGC – Bridgestone Invitational title. (Photo – www.goflbytourmiss.com)

Once on the course Woods birdied the first but he then struggled to keep the ball as straight as his paper plane sending spectators around a hot dog stand scattering with a wild shot right at the par four sixth hole.

Then at the next, the par three seventh Woods let go his club in disbelief when he tee shot ended up 42 yards short of the green.

Woods was asked if he felt he would compete later this week in the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky but remarked:  “I don’t know. I’m just trying to get out of here.”

Woods was contesting only his third event since major back surgery in March and spoke Friday of lacking the ‘explosiveness’  that has long been the trademark of his game.

However he displayed little fire power over his opening three rounds to be 14 shots from the leading heading to the fourth and final day to be four-over par for his eight holes on day four.

European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, commentating on Sky Sports said: “He (Tiger) looks like he’s maybe come back too early. The way he played I saw him hit shots on the front nine there that I’ve never seen him in his life come close to hitting. There’s obviously something going on.”

Woods missed the cut in his first event back at the end of June and then suffered his worst ever 72-hole finish in a Major as a professional, ending up 69th in the Open at Royal Liverpool.

He had previously spoken about being “pain-free” for the first time in two years, but said on Wednesday that other people who had undergone the same surgery were surprised he was able to play again so quickly.

“This is only my third event back after back surgery and that’s something that I have had to keep in mind. I’ve been in this situation before and it takes a bit of time,” Woods said in his pre-tournament press conference in Akron.

“The knee (injury) is so much easier to come back from. The back injury was way more debilitating than I thought. And most of the people I talked to who have had the procedure have no idea how I’m even back here playing. They just can’t understand that.”

Woods remarked that the operation had at least one beneficial side-effect, adding: “We’ve been trying to shorten my swing over the years and the perfect way to do it is just have back surgery. I can’t turn that far.”

Woods is due to contest the opening two rounds of this week’s season-ending Major with Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, and with both players not having won a Major since 2008.

In Harrington’s case the Dubliner has not won on either the PGA or European Tour’s since his triumph at Oakland Hills.

American Pat Perez is first reserve into the PGA Championship and has cancelled travelling to San Diego for a Tom Petty concert and instead is bound for Kentucky.